Sachgebiete

Beschreibung:

XII, 122 p. Broschure.

Bemerkung:

In very good condition. - The current work is dedicated to discussing medieval female mysticism as a charismatic authority in a Max Weberian sense, introducing a new social scientific approach in the flourishing field of interpretations. Until fairly recently scholarship has focused on mysticism especially as an individual experience with the ultimate reality neglecting its social dimension. In this work I argue for a sociodimensional model of the interpretation of mysticism analyzing the figure of Saint Angela of Foligno, the most important Franciscan female mystic. -- Before doing so, however, I provide a general introduction to mysticism. What is it? What is it all about? What is the aim of mysticism and what is it for? In this very introduction I present the various definitions of mysticism in order to understand the concept. Furthermore, I give a brief overview of the mystical tradition of Abrahamic religions in connection with love mysticism. Love mysticism is a general characteristic of medieval mystical traditions, and, as such, it is essential for a more profound understanding of medieval female mysticism discussed later. In addition, I find it important to provide a brief introduction to the conceptual framework of understanding mysticism. It is inevitable to discuss tangentially the medieval and modern theological understanding of it, the findings of psychology of religion in this regard, and modern classifications theory. Certainly, the feminist approach and the summary of the social dimension of mysticism would fit in this part. However, I find them so crucial that I dedicate major attention to them later in this chapter. -- To understand better the emerging presence of Angela of Foligno in our time, I want to introduce her as a member of the Franciscan Third Order, focusing on the dominant presence of the Franciscan Order and the Women?s Movements in the late Middle Ages. Another important fact about Angela is her equivalent canonization by Pope Francis in 2013, which casts light on her significance and topicality as well. ISBN 9783447118743